Why... are we the type of team we are?

It seems every week I watch multiple teams light up other teams. We lost to the bears 40-23. Last season we did not put up 30 points in ANY game. We lost 3 games however 30+ points against us. It's been since 2011 that we put up 30 points in a game, and we did it what? 3 times? Meanwhile teams every week are blasting other teams out, the Bungles today putting up 49 points. I don't think we've done a score like that in 6+ years or more. Today, 7 teams put up 30+ points, and we haven't done it since 2011??? And the Bungles put 49 points up against a team we barely put up 19 against ourselves.

It also seems that this team is running the same formula on every team they play, and scoring a touchdown at any point makes them as excited as a high school team. It's like they're absolutely flabbergasted that they scored. And today, they seemed to play with no urgency at all until the 4th quarter, and they come back 21 to 3 to 21-18 inside 11 minutes of football. Followed up by some of the worst clock management and play calling I've ever seen.

People ask me all the time "What the heck is up with your team." and I just have to shake my head.

 

Coaching.

 

This

 

Organizational structure.

 

Coaching. I was a Tomlin supporter, but I have seen enough over the years to know the mark of a Tomlin team. A Tomlin team is under prepared, undisciplined, injury prone, and horrible at clock management and decisions.

 

Coaching. If the Big Bill Belicheck had this team, they'd be at least 6-2.

Let's be honest. The team has taken on the public persona of the Coach. He downplays the importance of situational football, has no clock management skills and doesn't really apply a cohesive strategy towards gameplanning.

 

I think one of the basic underlying philosophies of the Tomlin Era is fundamentally flawed. It is the "We do not concern ourselves with what other teams do" I can't say that it is the right approach to ignore what another team does against you or the film of what another team does to your opponent.

 

Every year we've watched team in our division get better as we did the minimum to stay competitive. And now it is catching up to us. The Browns are a quarterback away from making us the bottom of the AFC North.

 

Got to agree here. The approach should be, "We'll do whatever we're successful at until they stop it, then we'll take the other!".

 

1. Tomlin took the job without having any kind of mindset/philosophy about what he wanted his team to be.
2. As a result of #1, he can't build a team.
3. As a result of #2, there is no cohesion.
4. Tomlin and co. don't appear to game plan for anyone. At least, not very often.
5. Poor line play.
6. A team that makes a lot of mistakes ("You develop habits on the practice field." -Chuck Noll)

 

It is not just coaching... it is this teams' entire philosophy. The whole "Steeler's Way" thing does not cut it in this league anymore plain and simple.

We do not do anything strategic or tactical with our roster at all. We don't pick up free agents that could help us or trade players for draft picks, the only moves we make is picking up free agents that we cut a year or two before and picking up guys like Levi Brown.

We draft NOTHING but blue collar guys and therefore we have no exciting and impactful players capable of scoring touchdown after touchdown.

It is our entire philosophy and it starts with getting rid of Colbert.

 

Offensive line.
They took the emphasis away from a strong offensive line and put it in other areas.

 

I was down on Colbert (and still am to a certain degree), but then there were the 2 recent articles ... the one on the Tomlin/Pryor drafting thingy and the other quoting DL as thanking Tomlin for being responsible for bringing back Gay. So, at the moment I'm not sure who in the hell to blame anymore.

 

This is a WHOLE WHOLE WHOLE lot of it. I also don't think we have a strong receiving core from an overall perspective. We don't have a game breaking receiver. We just have a bunch of "solid" guys. We don't really have any "stars" on defense either. I mean Troy is pretty much the only household name. I just don't think we have any true game breaking personnel.

 

What's really funny about this is that they kept talking about how Tomlin loved Pryor during the game. But a month or so ago Tomlin was asked about the read option and said that he thinks it's a "gimmick" but Lebeau said he thinks it's something that's not just a gimmick but is gonna stick around for a long time. So I really wonder if Tomlin just didn't take it as seriously as he should when gameplanning and I wonder if going forward he will put a lot more emphasis on trying to contain it.

 

One damn thing is for sure, the Raiders watched our use of the wildcat and then used it on us to perfection.

 

I honestly don't think this is ALL about coaching. Yesterday's game in particular, the mistakes were on the players not the gameplan. There have been some bad personnel decisions over the last few years, but I don't know if I want to blame that on Colbert or Tomlin as they both play a role.

The offense is frustrating because there is basically only 1 consistent thing.

Let's analyze this closer:

Running backs: Redman, Mendenhall, Dwyer, Bell, Jones, LSH, etc. = we have tried a whole bunch of guys, and with the exception of 3 games last year, we haven't been able to run the ball consistently and get those tough yards when really needed siince Bettis left.

Wide Recievers: Ward, Wallace, Brown, Sanders, Washington, Cotchery = Pretty talented group right there. You put those 6 guys with Brady and he is throwing for well over 400 yards every game....easily.

Tight End: Heath...and then we run through, Paulson, Spaeth, Johnson, Palmer, etc. = Heath is what he is, but we never seem to have that #2 guy.

Oline: In the last 5 years, we are on our 5th different starting line to start the year. Multiple guys have come and gone. Young guys. Older guys. Vets. Rookies. Still the same problem. No consistent push in running game, no pass blocking ability.

Coaching: Different OC. Different WR coach. Different OLine coach. Same issues.

QB: Ben

Now, I'm not trying to throw Ben under the bus, but he is the only part of our offense which is the same from what is was 5 years ago. The ONLY part. The only other parts which are the same...Tomlin and Colbert.

Colbert should take the blame for personnel.
Tomlin should take the blame for planning.
Ben takes the blame for execution.

I hate to put blame on our 1 "stud" on offense, but maybe some of the blame needs to go to him. Maybe he doesn't read his progressions fast enough. Maybe he doesn't read the defense correctly at the line. Maybe he doesn't execute the way HE is supposed to and it makes everything else look bad.

 

I dont think there a single person that is blameless for this debacle. It starts at the top and goes all the way to the players. I dont even know where to start to turn this thing around.

 

I honestly think the Rooney's should tell Tomlin and Colbert if they draft another linemen they are fired. I think a better idea would be to only get linemen in free agency so we could get proven commodities. I just don't think we can evaluate them. I would seriously be fine with most of our cap space being taken by offensive linemen. I am THAT sick of watching a franchise qb getting constantly killed. For all the people saying we should "blow it up" and all that I just think we should blow up the offensive line. I would cut Gilbert and Foster for sure and probably Adams since they seem now to only be using him in a limited capacity. If they extend any of these guys you will know what our team is going to be going forward.

 

Well my thing is that even though they are improving I think they still have a low ceiling. I would rather get guys that have a higher ceiling is what I'm saying. Like last night Bobby was saying he considers 3 sacks and a lot of pressure a good game for our line. It's because of the low ceiling.

 

If we went to sign free agents we are going to have to 'blow it up.' Our cap situation is a mess.

 

My thing is why did we let Gay go? Why did we let Foote, Speath, Dwyer go? Obviously we were wrong. So who is judging these guys before we let them walk out the door? It looks like we might be bring back Drew Butler.